Grow Your Own Microgreens: No Yard Required!

Jen From Indie Fixx was a guest blogger over on Craftzine. And I Had to share her article since, I was Just researching how to do this for my - no yard, Chicago Apartment :)

Read how you can grow your own microgreens on a sunny window sill.

So exciting! Thanks Jen for the Tips!

What's YOUR favorite Eco-Friendly Grocery Bag?

Mine is the $1.00 Bags from Joann Fabrics! they are huge. and awesome. I bought $150 dollars worth of Groceries and they fit it in 3 of my Joann Bags!

What is your Favorite Eco-Friendly Bag? Lets Give eachother tips and suggestions!

Tip of the day : Buy Recycled Paper

You:
By using less paper, or using paper with recycled content, and making other improvements, you can save wood, water and energy, and cut pollution and solid waste.

Work:
If your company switched their annual order of 100 tons of copy paper to a paper with 50% recycled content could save 173 tons of wood, 100,000 pounds of greenhouse gases, hundreds of pounds of toxic air and water pollutants and more than 50,000 pounds of solid waste.

Use the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator. This tool will help you quantify the benefits of better paper choices. The Paper Calculator shows the environmental impacts of different papers across their full lifecycle. Papercalculator.org

sources: thedailygreen.com, www.edf.org

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Something I learned about today was The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I was saddened to learn of such a thing. Water covers more than 70 percent of the planet's surface, making our rivers, lakes and oceans the lifeblood of our planet.

Currently, scientists believe the world's largest garbage dump isn't on land…it's in the Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches from the coast of California to Japan, and it's estimated to be twice the size of Texas.

In some places, the floating debris—estimated to be about 90 percent plastic—goes 90 feet deep. Elsewhere, there are six times more pieces of plastic than plankton, the main food source for many sea animals.

Marine biologists estimate that about 80 percent of the litter is from land, either dumped directly into waterways or blown into rivers and streams.

I have not done this in a long time, but I will definetly not be throwing any tiny pieces of garbage out the car window, thinking its no big deal anymore... sad but true....

Here is a few websites with some more detailed information:

Oprah.com

Wikipedia

GreatGarbagePatch.org

Please feel free to leave related Links in the comments section! Thank you!

Recycled DIY Tire Sandles

These Amazing Sandles were created and made by Courtney Kessel. These fabulous shoes consist of laminated cardboard platforms with tire tread soles. The upper is all bicycle tire inner tubing and a washer.

Pocketflops are foldable flip flops for women that are made with 95% recycled tire rubber and come in a carrying case made of either recycled or organic fabric. Their durability and thin design make them ideal for yoga bags, purses and backpacks.

Want to make your own? Heres a website with instructions for DIY Blown Tire Sandles

Today Only Free Eco-Tote from Walgreens

In celebration of Earth Day, get a free tote bag with any purchase at Walgreens. I didn't need a coupon, but some websites say you need one, so heres the coupon just incase!

Screenprinted Eco-Friendly Grocery Totes

$6 Eco-Friendly Reusable Grocery Totes

Hand screenprinted

Shop/View AD LOVE

Indie and Eco Friendly Gift Guide

Gift Ideas From Wonderful Shops!

Top Left: Bangles $10 (made from grocery bags) by Arny Designs,

Top Right: Eco-Friendly Bamboo Dish Cloth/Exfoliating Wash Cloth $6 by Sweet Memories Quilts

Middle Left: Recycled Magazine Bead Necklace $40 by Zendik Arts,

Middle Right: Chapel Windows UniqueHandmade Gourd Art Lampshade $219 by Studio Tempera

Bottom Left: Vino Zinnia recycled Collage Print $23 by artandphilanthropy,

Bottom Right: SPOTTED BIRD - TURQUOISE - Recycled Felt applique pillow $49 by Alexandra Ferguson

Reducing harmful Items in Your home...

Is that okay to eat out of? Why does that smell?

Just a few quick tips I read up on a few items that we might want to concider reading more carefully or replacing in the future. 

Microwaving in plastic

This could be harmful if the container is not marked "microwave safe". Just check the bottom, if it does not say microwave safe, it could leak toxins into your meal, and are less likely to be recyclable.

Fluorescent Bulb Safety 

An Etsy user TheBlueKraken brought to my attention some ideas she wanted to add to my blog. First about Replacing your lightbulbs with fluorescent ones. "There are huge dangers to fluorescent bulbs. they are full of mercury vapor and if you break one its very dangerous. you also cannot throw them in the trash. the mercury will go to a land fill and eventually ground water. i will only use them in fixtures that need colder bulbs and i do not throw them away if they stop working."

I looked it up and IKEA recycles fluorescent bulbs, if you dont live by an IKEA, read this article to mail it in by ecogeek.

Green Cleaning Products

Buy products labeled non-toxic, biodegradable, all-natural, and those that contain plant-based ingredients. Look for Multi-Purpose Products – Many multi-purpose cleaners are just as effective as the specialty cleaners. For instance, white vinegar can be used to clean floors, glass surfaces, coffee pots, and copper products. It is also effective at removing some kinds of stains. I just went to the grocery store last week, and was looking for toilet bowl cleaner, they had a One day promotion on their new Green Toilet bowl Cleaner, it was as cheap as the lowest priced Clorox Brand Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Check out your grocery store for local promotions.

Here are some RECIPES to make your own Green household cleaning products.

Teflon Pan alternatives

Nonstick cookware is made with a substance that’s a probable carcinogen. But the biggest threat, experts say, is all the air and water pollution caused by the factories that make the chemical. So copper or aluminum are the more eco-friendly options, but you don't have to throw away your pans if you already have them until they are scratched. 

Heres some alternatives when going shopping for new pots and pans:

• Cuisinart Greenware™ Eco-Friendly Non-Stick 10-Piece Cookware Set

• Starfrit Eco Friendly Cookware

• Green Pan Cookware

Can't live without dry cleaning?

I know I can't afford to dry clean except for special occasion dresses and things, but I know some family members who dry clean often, and would never even think of it as a harm to the environment. Although there isn't conclusive research, a large amount of dry cleaners use a chemical that has been linked to reproductive damage and cancer. Also the plastic bags are a waist, and take a lot of energy to produce. Try asking for NO plastic next time, or letting your clothes air out for about an hour after you bring them home, preferrably outside. Read this article for more info on dry cleaning alternatives.

Read the label. 

Read labels and look for signal words — DANGER, POISON, WARNING, CAUTION — that indicate the level of hazard. Products labeled DANGER or POISON are most hazardous. Pay attention to other messages on the label such as “causes burns on contact,” “vapors harmful,” or “extremely flammable.” Learn to recognize these phrases and take them seriously.

Got something to add? please email me, or add it in the comment section, I am sure our readers would surely appreciate it!

B.Y.O.B. - Bring Your Own Bag

Gosh I swear, when I am finished unloading groceries, I have about 100 of those plastic grocery bags, and I just keep stuffing them into the cabinet. 

Well For this weeks Grocery Shopping, I took all those bags and a very large eco-friendly bag to the Grocery Store. I was the annoying customer who asked to re-use my bags, but hey, too bad man!

I got to the doors, and realized theres a huge bin for old plastic bags, oops! ha ha, next time! But I was relieved to see this. So next time I will bring those plastic bags and dump them in the bin! I am going to try to get at least one new grocery tote whenever I go shopping. I found a huge one at Joann Fabrics for $1 buck.

Sea of Plastic Bags:

Anyway, Why should we 

Re-use, Recycle or say No to plastic bags?

• Millions of dollars are spent each year dumping plastic bags into landfills, millions are also spent annually in liter clean up, Cities and recyclers spend enormous amounts removing plastic bags from other recyclable materials at the facility; plastic bags jam machinery and add to the manual labor costs of recycling. They can kill animals, plants... etc. etc. etc.

What are Fashionable Alternatives to plastic bags?

Here are a couple shops that have some awesome eco-friendly FASHIONABLE re-usable Grocery and everyday totes!

Kim Quilts: Super Durable up-cycled plastic bags!

zJayne: Adorable Tee-shirt Bags

Fickle Faerie: Reusable Produce bags:

Also, Read this awesome blog from Etsy Labs to make your OWN Eco-Friendly Bags, by fusing together old plastic bags! It looks awesome! I am going to try it.

Etsy Labs Bag, For Article Click Here:

Tip for the day : Recycle Fashion!

I am selling a few items on ebay, that i barely every used or still have tags on them. I already gave 6 bags of clothes to salvation army and kept the gently used items for EBAY or RESALE.  

A friend of mine brought her clothes to "The Buffalo Exchange" and made $60 dollars from there, and used some of it, to buy herself some used jean shorts! So cute! Buffalo Exchange is unique because clothing and accessories are bought, sold and traded directly with store customers. Bring in your former favorites for trade or cash on the spot! They are a company that works to protect the environment by reusing and recycling clothing.

Photo From the Buffalo Exchange Website:

Another Shop is called: "Crossroads Trading Co."

The purpose of Crossroads' stores is to offer a unique retail experience where shoppers can buy top-quality recycled and new fashion as well as receive cash or trade credit for items they sell to the store. Unlike at a consignment shop, there is no waiting to get paid at Crossroads. You receive your cash or trade immediately, before you leave the store. When you trade you get 50% of the price they sell the item for in the store. They give you a trade certificate that you can use to purchase any item at any of our Crossroads locations.

Photos from Crossroads Website:



here are My Ebay Items:

My Ebay Link

If you know of other good resources, stores, and places to recycle fashion, please make a comment, so you can share them with everyone reading!

A Couple Simple Ways To Go Green – and budget friendly too!

1. Instead of buying cases of water bottles, Try getting a filter for your faucet! It cuts the cost of buying cases of water bottles, and the annoying heavy lifting, It lasts for 2-3 months, for me it lasts up to 6 months because there is only 2 of us. That’s $30 bucks for the filter for 6 months costs $1.25 per week for your water! Instead of buying a case for $5-10 bucks a week. 

Also Try buying a re-usable water bottle. I bought one at Walgreens for $1.99. It helps reduce landfill waste by not throwing away water bottles. You can drink your daily amount of water by filing it up twice (or read label on bottle depending on size). It also is made from a high-grade material that does not retain odor and does not leach, This is when the plastic from cheap water bottles breaks down over time and you start tasting plastic . yuck.

Tips from: www.wateruonline.com, www.purwater.com



2. Sign up for online banking. It saves you time, and it saves trees. If every American did this, 2.3 million tons of wood could be spared annually, and 3.9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases (directly to blame for heating up the planet) would be eliminated. When you visit an ATM, skip the receipt--those scraps of paper are a top source of litter.

3. Buy Local Produce and products. This saves the cost of transportation from far off places and drastically reduces pollution and fuel use. And also supports your local farmers too!

4. While your at it, Pick up some Vintage wears and household items! Cute, Trendy, ONE of a kinds. Clothes, dishes, glasses and more!

Not only will you look fabulous, your house or apt. will have unique vintage touches, and you and your pocket book can feel good about it too!



Dress from: Lolita Vintage

House ware Items from: Finding Fabulous

5. Adjust your Thermostat. The average American home emits about 13 tons of air-clogging carbon dioxide annually via boilers, furnaces and water heaters. Put a dent in that by lowering your thermostat 2°F in winter (to 68°F, ideally) and raising the AC temp by the same amount in summer (to 76°F). Plus it saves Tons of $Cash! I have tried it!

6. Also, Use your Window Curtains and Shades to your advantage. Reducing the amount of fuel used for heating and electricity used for air-conditioning are two key things you can do. Raise shades in winter to let in sunlight and lower them in summer to block out rays.

7. By the way, how about getting a power strip. Saves your electric bill, and even if you turn “off” your appliances you are still wasting stand by power. Plug stuff into a power strip with a circuit breaker so that when you turn it off, It shuts down Everything.

8. Use your dishwasher if you have one. Or if you don’t, Fill up the sink with water and wash the dishes, don’t leave it running.

9. Buy Dvds and cds, through online stores, and downloading from netflix, and itunes, to save plastic, paper, and transportation costs.

10. Try some Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) they use about 65 percent less energy than regular ones.

Hope this helps a little, of course we can’t always do everything perfect and green, but doing a couple simple things can really help keep the world a great place to live for our generation and generations to come. And wow. Really cuts down on your expenses too!

Tips from Glamour Magazine

• By the way, keep your favorite magazine subscriptions, but opt out for catalogs, like victoria secrets past down from the last 5 residents of your apartment :) try www.catalogchoice.org

Tip for the Day : Recycle your old Magazines

Got a stack of magazines laying around?

Stick them in your recycling bin, 

(or someone elses down the street :)

Its a good way to get rid of them, even though its so hard to let go! but they are piling up under the bed! Put them to good use and help the environment!

5 Favorite Beauty Items for Going Green

I have found some great environmentally friendly beauty products, thanks mostly to one of my friends who works for Ulta Salon, and also friends and shops on Etsy!

1. Sexy Hair Organics $8
I have really long hair, and this shampoo and conditioner are fabulous!

2. Orange Body Polish by Mama Nature essentials $8

This works awesome, so great, doesnt burn like some scrubs because its made from sugar, great exfoliation and then moisture.

3. ABBA True Shine Shine Elixir $3.99

Great smoothing serum for ends of hair!

4. Olivia Garden Healthy Hair Eco-Friendly Bamboo Brush $13-17

I use the EXTRA huge round brush for straightening my hair, it works awesome, it doesnt tangle my long hair, and if i dont want, i dont have to flat iron the ends!

5. HEMPZ Leave-In Detangler $12

Great detangler, super easy to brush out hair after shower